By Nyerohvwo Oghenetejiri
Dr. Antonia Ifeanyi Ashiedu, is the former Hon. Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Delta State, during the administration of former Governor of Delta State , Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan .
She holds a Doctorate Degree in Political Science with bias for International Relations and Development Finance.
Her Doctorial Thesis was on MASS POVERTY AND THE POLITICS OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIA’S IMAGE AND STATUS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
She has served in committees on poverty alleviation issues, with different multilateral Agencies like the UNDP, UNICEF, and the World Bank and Development Banks before her appointment.
She was a member of the Committee that formulated the National Poverty Alleviation Policy for Nigeria in 1997. Recently, the revered Oxford University in the United Kingdom acknowledged her work and research in development issues. An encomium that had been showered on her in March 2012 by the University of Toronto, Canada. She was also a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Political Affairs between 2003 and 2004. She continues to serve as a Member of Board of Directors of Bank of Industry (BOI) Micro Finance Bank.
Dr. Antonia Ashiedu also has a wide range of professional exposure and experience with the media having worked as a broadcaster both for television and radio stations. She served many years as a Press and Information Officer with the Federal Public Service.
This job exposed her to the intricacies of the Oil Industry, especially within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. She has also worked as a Development Banker, where she was involved with the Federal Government Policy of Creating Habitable Cities.
She was appointed Consultant to Delta State Government to prepare a blue print and conduct Baseline Study for the Micro-Credit Programme for the Twenty five Local Government Areas in 2004.
She was appointed Special Adviser to His Excellency, Governor James Ibori, on Micro Credit in 2006. Between August 2007 and November 2010, she served as Executive Assistant to His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan (CON), the Governor of Delta State on Micro Credit. From November 2010 to May 2011, she served as Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties on Micro-Credit. Dr. Antonia Ashiedu, on July 6th, 2011 was appointed Delta State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, a position she held until Uduaghan handed over the mantle of state leadership to the current Executive Governor of Delta State , Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa in 2015.
The Delta Micro Credit Program, under Uduaghan , for which Dr. Antonia Ashiedu is the protagonist has indeed facilitated and still facilitates the access of economically weak and disadvantaged segments of the population to productive assets and services with a view to making rural economies financially active.
Through the indefatigable drive of Dr. Antonia Ashiedu, the programme was able attract various international recognition, notably the invitation by the University of Toronto Institute of Studies in Education, Center for Integrative Anti- Racist Studies to Dr. Ashiedu to present a paper on the programme with the title: The Indomitable Spirit of Rural and Urban Poor Persons In Niger Delta; The Delta State Micro Credit Programme as a case study, March 2012.
In April 2013, on another invitation by the same University of Toronto but now as a keynote Speaker, Dr. Antonia Ashiedu delivered a paper titled “Sabotaging/Criminalization of the Subalterns’ Message in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria”
Also the respected Saïd Business School, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom invited Dr. Antonia Ashiedu as one of the Distinguished Keynote Speakers at the inaugural “Oxford Forum for Women in the World Economy” which took place from May 20 – 21, 2013.
In addition to some of the products of the programme being packaged and sold at renowned shops and supermarkets both in Nigeria, Africa, Europe and America, Dr. Antonia Ashiedu led the Entrepreneurs of the programme to so many national and international Exhibitions with their quality products and inevitably, the programme has earned Delta State, many national and international awards.
Dr. Antonia Ashiedu represents a model of the active individual. She has admirably combined her professional, physical and mental prowess in the service of the entire people and government of Delta State and humanity.
Dr. Antonia Ashiedu, is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of Penquin Development Concepts , a development finance consulting.
Dr. Antonia Ashiedu is an accomplished Researcher and Development Finance Consultant, is a Deltan from Issele-Uku in Aniocha North L.G.A.
This woman has some issues on corruption
With all good intent but quest for clarity and common good, I wish to ask if this is a promotional item or news reporting? For me, this is gross waste of media space and readers time. As much as I acknowledge Madam Asiedu’s achievements in many areas, the fact remains that this story is just cut and paste Curriculum Vitae which was not subjected to any firm review. This is just about self marketing and really does not reflect the reality on ground. The fact is that Ashiedu has an unsettled matter that relates to high level corruption and gross misapplication of about a billion naira which was meant for Delta State and provided by the CBN for micro credit. It is on good account that Ashiedu used paert of the money to fund an opponent of Okowa in the last PDP governorship primaries. Let Ashiedu refund that money please. I guess she is just doing all these because EFCC is about probing the said failed governorship aspirant, Tony oboh